Cigarette case



Aprll 6, 1943. R. N. LUPFER CIGARETTE CASE Filed Sept. 27, 1940 IIIIIIPatented Apr. 6, 19.43 l

CIGARETTE CASE Robert N. Lupfer, Springfield, O hio, assignor to TheSpringfield Leather Products Co., Springfield, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application September 27, 1940, Serial No. 358,678

(Cl. G-41) 2 Claims.

This invention relates'to cases in which packaged cigarettes can becarried and be dispensed therefrom as desired.

An object of the invention is to provide a cigarette case for enclosingpackaged cigarettes hav' ing a dispensing opening which may be closedby` a rigid slide member suitably retained 'and guided in properrelation with the dispensing opening.

Another object of the invention is to. provide a cigarette case forenclosing packaged cigarettes wherein an end wall of a flexible case isrigidly supported, and a slide is carried by the rigid supporting wallin a slidable manner to permit opening and closing of a dispensingopening in the flexible case.

A further object of the invention' is to provide a exible cigarette casefor enclosing packaged cigarettes wherein an end wall is provided with arigid support which isattached to the wall in such a manner that a slidem'ay cooperate therewith for closing a dispensing opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a leather case forenclosing packaged cigarettes wherein a metal slide and guide means isprovided in operative association with a dispensing opening for openingand closing the same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a metal supportupon an end wall of a flexible cigarette case and provide means forsecuring the metal support to the iiexible end wall in such a manner asto expose a minimum amount of the metal, and wherein the metal supportprovides means for slidably guiding and supporting a slide member forclosing a dispensing opening in the case, and wherein the slide isprovided with a manipulator extending through the support.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the drawingl and a reading of the description which follows.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 isa perspective elevational view of a cigarette case embodyingfeatures of this invention, and shows a slide in the open position fordispensing cigarettes; v Figure 2 is a perspective elevational viewsimilar to Figure 1, the slide, however, being in closed position;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view I taken along line 3 3of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line 4 4 ofFigure 1; Y

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line 5 5 ofFigure 1 and looking upwardly in the direction of the arrows.

This invention is adapted for use in connection with carrying lpackagedcigarettes. It iswell-known that the paper package in which cigarettesare packed and sold is lnsuilicient support for the cigarettes when theyare carried upon the person. The package becomes damaged andy destroysthe cigarettes. A convenient manner for dispensing cigarettes from theoriginal package consists of tearing or cutting one end of the packagein such a manner as to expose several cigarettes. Such a manipulation ofthe end of a package provides a substantially rectangular openingthrough which cigarettes may be dispensed from the original package, theremaining cigarettes being retained within the package in an attempt toretain their shape and condition while being carried in the pocket ofthe person.

This invention .permits a cigarette package, prepared as aforementioned,to be placed in a container or case with the prepared end adjacent adispensing opening in the case.V A slidable closure member is providedfor opening and closing the dispensing opening of the case topermitcigarettes to :be dispensed from the case in the same manner as from theoriginal package prepared as aforementioned. It is to be understood,however, that the cigarettes can be removed from the original packageand .be placed within the case for protection and from which they can.be dispensed in the same manner as from an original .pack-age.

The cigarette case of this 'invention consists of a substantiallyrectangular case I0 which can be manufactured from any suitable materialsuch as metal, leather or plastic. It' is more convenient, however, tomanufacture the case I0 from a nexible material such as leather sincethis material will more or less conform to the pocket of I a person, itis light in weight, while providing protection for cigarettes containedtherein. The invention is thus disclosed in its preferred form as beingapplied to a leather cigarette case.

'I'he case I0 consists of side walls i I, edge walls I2 and end walls I3and I4, respectively. Means are provided for gaining access to theinterior of the case I0 by placing a zipper I5 within the edge walls I2and the end wall I3. A suitable cut-out portion I6 is provided in theedge walls I2 and the end wall I3 to permit operation of the zipper I5which is stitched to the edge of the cut-out lportion I6 as at I'I.

'Ihe top wall I4 of the cigarette case I0 is provided with a dispensingopening 20 through which cigarettes contained within the case I0 may bedispensed as desired. The dispensing opening 20 is adapted to be closedby means of a slide 2| which is provided with a. manipulator knob 22.The slide 2| is slidably supported in guided relation upon a rigidsupport and guide member 23.

The guide member 23 has longitudinally extending guide rails 24integrally formed as a part of the guide member 23 by bending oppositeparallel edges ofthe guide member 23 angularly with respect to the planeof the member 23 whereby 1a substantially U-shaped channel is provided.The slide `member 2| is positioned between the guide rails 24 and isretained in guided relationship therewith by the manipulator knob 22,which extends through an elongated slot 25.

The elongated slot 25 positioned within the guide member 23 is arrangedwith an upwardly extending flange 26 lwhich is adapted to extend througha longitudinally positioned slot 21 provided in the end wall I4 of thecase I0. The flange 26 of the slot 25 is-formed over the edge of theslot 21 in the end wall I4, whereby the guide member 23 is retainedadjacent the wall I4. The guide member 23 and the slide 2| arepositioned adjacent the inner face of the wall I4 whereby an exposedmetal edge of a flange 28 and the flange 26 are the only exposed metalparts of the case except for the slide 2| and the manipulator knob 22.The flange 2S is formed over an edge of the dispensing opening 20, thisflange in cooperation with ange 26 providing the means for retaining theguide 23 and the slide 2| adjacent the wall I4.

The manipulator knob 22 is secured to the slide 2| by any suitablemeans, such as by staking the end 29. This manipulator knob 22 extendsthrough the eyelet formed by the slot 25 and the formed flange 26 andterminates in an enlarged head 30, the edges of which overlap parallellongitudinal edges of the eyelet, whereby the slide. 2| is supportedadjacent therigid support and guide member 23. The eyelet formed by theslot 25 and the formed flange 26 provides means for limiting thelongitudinal movement of the manipulator 22, and thus the slide 2|.

As heretofore mentioned, the cigarette case I0, which includes the wallI4, is constructed from a flexible material such. as leather. The guidemember 23 provides a rigid support for the flexible wall I4 whereby therectangular shape of the wall I4 -is retained when the case is beingcarried upon the person, since the guide 23 covers -substantially theentire area of the wall i4. When the slide 2| is advanced to its`forward or closed position, as shown in Fig-ure 2, the slide providesthe means for retaining the end of the `case having thedispensing'opening therein in proper configuration. If desired, toobtain additional stiffness for the side and edge walls of the case I0,a reenforcement strip 3| 'may be positioned adjacent the inner faces ofthe respective walls. This, however, is not a necessity and is suggestedonly if it is desired to provide a firm and rigid cigarette case.

It may readily be seen that the device of this l but which may addconsiderable to the decorative qualities of the case.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cigarette dispensing case made of flexible material and shaped toreceive and hold a package o cigarettes snugly therein, said case havinga continuous slide fastener opening in one end and in the adjacentportions of the side walls to permit insertion of a package ofcigarettes, the other end of the case being provided with a double endWall having a dispensing opening located adjacent to one side of thecase, the inner wall portion of said double end wall terminating at itsopposite edges in a pair of guide rails, a closure plate of relativelystiff material confined in the case in face contact with the innersurface of said inner wall portion, said plate being guided in thelateral direction by said rails, said closure plate having an operatingelement projecting through the end Wall and accessible on' the outsideof the case, and a flat reenforcin'g member carried by the side walladjacent to the dispensing opening and substantially the same width asthe said sidewall.

2. A cigarette dispensing case made of flexible material and shaped toreceive and hold a package of cigarettes snugly therein, said casehaving a continuous slide fastener opening in one end and in theadjacent portions of the side Walls to permit insertion of a package ofcigarettes, the other end of the case being provided with a double endwall having a dispens- -ing open located adjacent to one side of thecase, the inner wall portion of said double end wall terminating at itsopposite edges in a pair of guide rails, a closure plate of relativelystiif material coniined in the case in face contact with the innersurface of said inner wall portion, said plate being guided solely inthe lateral direction by said rails, said closure plate having anoperating element projecting through the end Wall and accessible on theoutside of the casing, said element being adapted to bear against theupper surface of the outer wall portion of the double end wall, saidplate being supported in the vertical direction solely by the bearingeffect between said head and the upper wall portion.

ROBERT N. LUPFER.

